a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to field facilities for sports and games, and more particularly, to a mound system for a game field having a mound structure that is invertible between a raised configuration and a flat configuration in which the structure is flush with the surrounding surface of the field.
b. Related Art
As is well known, many forms of sports and athletic games are played on open fields, commonly covered with natural or artificial turf. Such fields are commonly constructed and maintained by schools and parks, as well as by stadiums and other professional sports facilities. By their nature, such fields are necessarily quite large (e.g., 100+ yards/meters in length) and relatively expensive to construct and maintain. In addition, the lighting, bleachers/seating, restrooms, parking lots and other facilities associated with the field represent very significant investments. Thus even relatively simple sports/game fields involve significant capital and operating costs.
As is also well known, many types of sports and athletic games require that the surface of the field be flat and unobstructed, examples common in North America include football, soccer and la crosse. However, other sports/games employ mounds or other raised features, examples being baseball and softball; for example baseball fields require a pitcher's mound located centrally in the diamond, and frequently additional mounds in the bullpen/warm up areas.
Raised mounds are incompatible with use of a field in a sport that requires a flat, unobstructed surface, however, for the reasons explained above, providing dedicated fields for each sport means increasing capital and operating costs, to the point where this is simply not feasible for many entities, especially schools and parks departments where funds are frequently limited. Even for professional sports teams, the cost of providing separate, dedicated stadiums (e.g., for football and baseball) is so great as to be impracticable for all but the largest cities.
As a result, certain efforts have been made at providing temporary mound structures, for converting a flat field to baseball/softball use for example, however the results have been very much less than satisfactory. Typically, such temporary mounds have taken the form of portable, lump-shaped structures that are pulled or otherwise transported into place and set atop the turf or other surface of the field. Then, when it is time for the field to be used for football, soccer or another sport requiring a flat, unobstructed surface, the portable mounds are hauled back off and stored.
However, as noted, the foregoing approach has several drawbacks. To begin with, considerable labor is required to “manhandle” the temporary mound to and from their locations on the field, and it is particularly difficult to maneuver the mounds into the correct position and alignment after they have been dropped onto the surface of the field. Also, due to their inherent size, the portable mounds require very substantial storage space when not in use, or if they are left exposed they are both unsightly and subject to damage from weathering.
In addition to the drawbacks discussed in the preceding paragraph, temporary mounds present significant problems from a player standpoint. For example, even the best fields often have small undulations or other surface irregularities, or may be crowned somewhat, such that establishing a close conformance between the surface of the field and the underside of the temporary mound is problematic. As a result, stability of the mound may be compromised, and gaps or other discontinuities may form between the edges of the mound and the surface of the field. At a minimum, a raised edge or lip will usually exist about the perimeter, owing to the need to have some material thickness at the edge of the mound. The existence of such discontinuities, as opposed to the smooth transitions that normally exist at the perimeters of traditional, permanent mounds, can create significant problems when struck by a ball and can also present trip hazards. These problems typically only become worse with age, especially owing to the tendency for personnel to roll or drag the mounds on their edges when moving them to and from the field.
Still further, in addition to the foregoing disadvantages, portable, temporary mounds of the type described above are typically visual incongruent with the surrounding field, especially at the perimeter, and otherwise present an appearance that is less than satisfactory for certain venues, such as professional sports facilities.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for allowing sports fields to be provided with raised mounds when desired, and to be returned to a flat, unobstructed surface for activities where the mounds are not needed, without the use of temporary, portable mounds that need to be transported onto and off of the field. Furthermore, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method that allows the mounds to be provided on the field in an efficient manner and without requiring excessive labor. Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method that minimizes discontinuities between the mound or mounds and the surrounding surface of the field. Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method that avoids raised edges about the perimeter of the mound structure. Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method that provides a structure that is stable, durable and long lasting in service. Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method in which the upper surface of the mound smoothly transitions to the surrounding field surface so as to avoid visual incongruities and present a superior appearance not unlike a traditional fixed mound.